IK Multimedia's MODO BASS put you, the producer in full control of your bass sound. MODO BASS is the virtual equivalent to having 12 iconic basses that span the history of music. With full control of all the details including pickup type, play style, amps and effects, and not only choose the type of strings, but also the age, action, tuning and more. MODO BASS utilizes modal synthesis technology and an ultra-optimized sound engine to model each string with insanely detailed accuracy. As a producer, you want the best possible bass sound you can get—realism, credibility and an authenticity that delivers the most accurate and inspiring performance.

MODO BASS technology redefines realism from a computer-based instrument by modeling the entire process of playing bass. Every component that contributes to the unique tonal properties of a bass player playing an instrument has been modeled, and the effects of each component on the other ones—the interactions between each tone variable—has been recreated to give you a dynamic, living breathing and ever-changing performance.

Realtime Sound Synthesis
Unlike traditional sample-based virtual instruments, MODO BASS utilizes modal synthesis technology and an ultra-optimized sound engine to model each string as a nonlinear resonator. Each string’s acoustic behavior is determined by its physical parameters, as well modeling the action of the player as a nonlinear physical interaction with certain areas on the string surface and the interaction of the string with fretboard, body and pick-ups of the instrument. Then using IK’s cutting edge analog modeling expertise, the amp and effects rig of the electric bass is added to the sound chain.

All of this gives MODO BASS the ability to create sound in real time based on the construction and components of the bass combined with the player technique, finesse and the ever-changing dynamic interactions between the two. In short, MODO BASS brings — for the first time — ever-changing, hyper-realistic, living-breathing bass sound and performance to the world of virtual instruments. And since it doesn’t use samples, MODO BASS has an extremely small memory footprint.

Models
MODO BASS gives you 12 iconic basses that span the history of music — 12 basses that define virtually every style and every genre of music recorded with an electric bass. Each bass model was chosen for its particular timbre and wood tone, and every detail of the instrument’s performance has been meticulously modeled and recreated.

- 60’s P-Bass: based on Fender Precision Bass, Alder body
- 70’s P-Bass: based on Fender Precision Bass, Ash body
- 70’s J-Bass: based on Fender Jazz Bass, Alder body
- Modern J-Bass: based on Fender Jazz Bass, Alder body
- Devil Bass: based on Gibson EB-0
- Bass Man 5: based on Music Man StingRay 5-string
- Rick n’ Bass: based on Rickenbacker 4003
- Studio Bass: based on Yamaha TRB5P
- Violin Bass: based on Hofner Violin
- Thunder Bass: based on Gibson Thunderbird
- Japan Bass: based on Ibanez Soundgear
- Flame Bass: based on Warwick Streamer

Play Style—Choose Your Approach
MODO BASS gives you the whole bass playing experience, starting with the way you play the instrument. The “Play Style” choice is your physically modeled playing hand. With the Play Style options, you can choose and modify the way you approach and play the instrument.

Finger — The Finger option selects the finger style of bass playing, one of the most common ways to bring out inspiring bass tones. With it, you can change which fingers you play with and how much force you use on the strings.

Slap — This mode recreates the act of “slapping” and “pulling” the bass strings with the thumb and fingers. Since there are no samples being triggered for each style, every stroke will sound slightly different, just like a real bass player.

Pick — Get major transient attack on the string with a pick. Here you can choose the physical thickness of the pick, plus the picking style, downstroke or alternating. Each strike of the plectrum produces a unique sound.

Mute — You can also apply “muting” techniques to any playing style, another premier in software instruments. The mute control lets you add just the right amount of damping of the strings producing the human-touch element of bass technique.

Strings
Different strings provide different sounds and tonal qualities. In MODO BASS, you can customize your string choice and choose the type of setup used on the bass. First, you can choose the actual number of strings (4 or 5) to determine the note scale range of the bass. You can also choose the gauge of the string set which affects timbre and sustain, the age of the strings which changes the relative “brightness” of the tone, plus the physical construction of the strings (round wound, flat wound, etc.) which changes the type of “slide noise” introduced when moving up and down the neck. In addition to the string-specific parameters, you can change the bass’ physical scale length as well as the action, or physical distance between the strings and the fretboard. Changing the action changes the timbre and amount of the fret noise when playing — a lower action produces slightly more fret noise when played agressively, just like on a real bass.

Electronics
The electronics section is where you customize the pickups and wiring of the bass. This section lets you experiment in real time with different types of bass pickups, the position of each one (each bass can have up to 2 pickups, even if the bass model originally comes with just one), and you can tweak the frequency response parameters of each. There’s even a piezo pickup control that lets you blend an under-bridge mounted piezo signal with your pickup signal.

Start with the stock pickup or pickups for each bass model and set the volume balance independently for each. Want a different pickup in the neck position? No problem. There are 20 individual pickup models to choose from, each with its own tonal characteristics and personality. You can also freely move the pickups around in the pickup area providing you with virtually limitless options. Experiment with different pickups, different pickup positions and different playing positions all at the same time. With MODO BASS, you can create combinations that would be virtually impossible to accomplish without a lot of solder and wiring adjustments!

Adjust the overall pickup output with the tone control, just like the tone control on the physical bass. You can switch the electronics from Passive to Active, and doing so gives you access to an additional parametric EQ that lets you fine-tune your tone for the perfect balance.